GUEST BIO

Max Lucado: Satisfying Our
Spiritual Thirst

The 700 Club

Max says that we must be hydrated in our spirits as much as we need to be
hydrated in our physical bodies. Physically, if we deprive our bodies of necessary
fluid, our bodies will give us signals and tell us. Dry mouth, thick tongue,
achy head, and weak knees are all symptoms of the fluid level growing low
in our bodies. Max says it’s the same for our spirituality. “If
you deprive your soul of spiritual water, your soul will tell you,”
says Max. If you notice snarling tempers, waves of worry, growing guilt and
fear, Max says those are all symptoms of a dehydrated spirit.

He wrote a prayer for the thirsty heart:

Lord, I come thirsty. I come to drink, to receive. I receive your work
on the cross and in your resurrection. My sins are pardoned, and my death
is defeated. I receive your energy. Empowered by your Holy Spirit, I can do
all things through Christ, who gives me strength. I receive your lordship.
I belong to you. Nothing comes to me that hasn’t passed through you.
And I receive your love. Nothing can separate me from your love.

Max says he has offered this prayer in countless situations: stressful meetings,
dull days, long drives, or during character-testing decisions. He says that
many people are engaged in church events, but those things alone never satisfy.
“Church activities might hide a thirst,” says Max. “But
only Christ quenches it.”

He says we must allow Jesus to do to our spirits what water does to our bodies.
We must let Him penetrate our hearts. How do we do this? Max says that we
should not dismiss the warning signals. Don’t deny the anger. Don’t
deny the loneliness. Max says we need ceaseless communion with Jesus in order
to be satisfied.

Once Max was watching a baseball game and lost his cable connection. A week
earlier, the pest-control man discovered a cat in the attic and set out a
trap. The trap worked; the cat was in the wire cage, but it managed to chew
on the cable and cause the disruption. Max reminds us that the bad habits
of our lives are much like pests: acknowledging them isn’t enough; you
have to do something to get them out of the house! Max says some of our critters
could be jealousy, bigotry, greed, or anxiety. He says we can’t just
make a mental note that our bad habits need attention. “Ask God to help
you get rid of them,” he says.

Max says even if it is not our regular habit, we need to schedule at least
30 minutes to get alone with God each day. Use the time to thank Him and to
reveal to you what areas are most dehydrated. Once the Lord has answered your
prayer, ask for strength and wisdom to give that area over to healing.

Keep a worry journal for three months. More than 90 percent of what we worry
about never happens. Or try an experiment for a week. Get a notebook and carry
it with you. Then, whenever you are faced with a temptation or difficult decision,
pray that God will guide you as you write the request in the notebook. After
the week has passed, go back through the notebook to see how the Holy Spirit
has really done remarkable things in your life.

'AMERICA'S PASTOR'

Max, 49, originally from West Texas, was recently dubbed “America’s
Pastor” by Christianity Today magazine. When he was 16, Max
spent hot summer nights digging ditches and drinking beer, but soon he began
to wonder if there was more to life than what he was doing.

A required Bible class during his sophomore year at Abilene Christian University
changed the course of Max’s life. He was fascinated with the professor’s
portrayal of Jesus and became convinced he wanted to be a follower.

He moved to Miami and met Denalyn at a singles event at church. They married
in 1981, have three daughters, and he has pastored Oak Hills Church since
1988.

In 1985 Max mailed his first manuscript, On the Anvil, to 15 publishers
who originally rejected him. (It was published by Tyndale.)